Idaho Officials Warn of Affordable Care Act Scams

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Department of Insurance is warning residents to watch out for scammers who may try to take advantage of consumers confused about changes under the Affordable Care Act.

The Coeur d'Alene Press reports that former Coeur d'Alene City Councilwoman Dixie Reid and her husband were recently targeted by scammers. Reid says her husband lost his wallet about two weeks ago so at first they weren't concerned when someone called saying they wanted to send him a new Medicare card.

But Reid says that when the caller began asking for bank account numbers, they hung up, recognizing that it was likely a scam. Brett DeLange with the Idaho Attorney General's consumer protection division, says people who receive suspicious calls should do the same thing.